Efimov, Valery Sub-tundra forists: condition, value, protection

Institute of ecological problems of the North Ural Branch RAS,
Archangel, Russian
valerefimov@yandex.ru
Sub-tundra forests are the natural circumpolar complex of Sub-Arctic. The nature complex of Sub-tundra forests includes: the northern-most border of the North taiga, forest-tundra, mountain tundra formations and mires. According to different evaluations the territory of Sib-tundra forests of the Russian part of the Barents Region are about 11,3 to 18,7 billion hectares (Kurolovich, Spirina, 1999, 2012).
The forest flora is dominated among Sub-tundra forests. There are intact, old-growth forests, which are very sensitive towards anthropogenous and technogenous invasion, and which have exclusively long period of rehabilitation (Tsvetkov et al, 1998; Tsvatkov, Semionov, 2012).
Environmental value of these forests is really great. These forests have climate-protection and environment-building functions. These forests transforms atmospherics fronts, they influenced on carbon balance and influenced on the formation of climate.
Sub-tundra forests have the great value for the local and indigenous peoples, as timber, fuel, different forest products, as a natural basis for hunt and reindeer-breeding.
Since the second half of XX century the Sub-tundra forests got pressing from the expansion of oil-and-gas industry, which will follow to the situation we lose this unique biome, which will have unpredictable environmental results for the region.
The nature complex of Sub-tundra forests is studied rather weak. There are necessary to arrange the complex researches of the ecological specifics of the all components of natural environment of the territory, including the realization of the recommendations of the international environmental expeditions on the territory of Archangel Region in 1998, 2002, 2009 (Efimov, Davydov, 2012).
The protection of Sub-tundra forests have an exclusive value as for environment as for as for the survival of the indigenous peoples of Far North.